How To Use Mendeley Reference Manager (Complete Beginner's Guide)
Summary
TLDRThis tutorial offers a comprehensive guide to the Mendeley Reference Manager, a free software for organizing research references across multiple platforms. It covers downloading, setting up, and using the software, including creating an Elsevier account, installing browser plugins, and adding references manually or via identifiers. The video also explains how to manage and organize references, use the notebook feature for annotations, and integrate citations and bibliographies in Microsoft Word using the Mendeley Cite add-on. Finally, it highlights accessing the Mendeley library online for convenience.
Takeaways
- 🔍 The Mendeley Reference Manager is a free software created by Elsevier for managing references, available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
- 🆓 Mendeley Desktop is still available but no longer supported, with Mendeley Reference Manager taking its place.
- 💻 To download Mendeley Reference Manager, visit their website, select your operating system, and follow the setup instructions.
- 📧 You need a free Elsevier account to use Mendeley, which can be created easily on their website.
- 🌐 Installing the Mendeley Web Importer plugin for browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Safari makes it easy to save online references directly to your Mendeley library.
- 📂 Inside Mendeley, you can add references manually, use identifiers, import via the Web Importer, or upload PDFs with metadata.
- 📑 Mendeley features a notebook for adding comments and annotations, and allows tagging for better organization of references.
- 🔄 You can filter references by tags and authors, and organize them into collections and sub-collections.
- 👥 Private groups in Mendeley let you share references and PDFs with up to 25 other users, useful for collaborative work.
- 📝 Mendeley Cite add-on for Microsoft Word helps in inserting citations and bibliographies, with various citation styles available.
Q & A
What is Mendeley Reference Manager and who created it?
-Mendeley Reference Manager is a reference management software created by the publisher Elsevier, available for Mac, Windows, and Linux machines.
Is Mendeley Reference Manager free to use?
-Yes, Mendeley Reference Manager is completely free to use.
What is the difference between Mendeley Reference Manager and Mendeley Desktop?
-Mendeley Desktop is an older software that is no longer supported with updates, whereas Mendeley Reference Manager is the current and supported version.
How can I download Mendeley Reference Manager?
-You can download Mendeley Reference Manager by visiting their website and selecting the download button, then choosing the correct option for your operating system.
Do I need an account to use Mendeley Reference Manager?
-Yes, to use Mendeley Reference Manager, you will need an Elsevier account, which is free to create.
What is the Mendeley Web Importer and why is it useful?
-The Mendeley Web Importer is a free plugin for internet browsers that simplifies the process of saving references found online directly to your Mendeley library.
How can I add references to my Mendeley library?
-You can add references to your Mendeley library by manually entering the information, using an identifier to look up metadata, using the Mendeley Web Importer, or uploading a PDF with metadata.
What is the purpose of the 'Collections' feature in Mendeley Reference Manager?
-Collections are like folders in Mendeley Reference Manager, allowing you to manually organize and categorize your references.
How does the 'Private Groups' feature work in Mendeley Reference Manager?
-Private Groups in Mendeley Reference Manager allow you to share references and full-text documents with other members in a shared library environment, such as for a journal club.
What is the Notebook feature in Mendeley Reference Manager and how can it be used?
-The Notebook feature in Mendeley Reference Manager allows you to add your own comments in the form of pages and view embedded comments within PDFs, which can be helpful for note-taking and annotations.
How can Mendeley Reference Manager be integrated with Microsoft Word for creating citations and bibliographies?
-You can integrate Mendeley Reference Manager with Microsoft Word by downloading the Mendeley Cite for Microsoft Word add-on, which allows you to insert citations and bibliographies directly into your Word document.
How can I access my Mendeley library online?
-You can access your Mendeley library online by signing in to the Mendeley website using your account details and selecting the library button.
What is the storage limit for the free Mendeley Reference Manager plan?
-The free Mendeley Reference Manager plan offers two gigabytes of storage, with additional storage available for paid subscriptions.
Outlines
😀 Introduction to Mendeley Reference Manager
This paragraph introduces the Mendeley Reference Manager, a free reference management software created by Elsevier for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It mentions the discontinuation of Mendeley Desktop in favor of the new Reference Manager. The video guide explains how to download and install the software, create an Elsevier account, and install the Mendeley Web Importer plugin for browsers. The initial interface of the software is described, including the sidebar for adding new references, organizing the library, and accessing collections and private groups.
📚 Adding References to Mendeley Library
The second paragraph covers various methods for adding references to the Mendeley library, such as manually entering details, using identifiers to fetch metadata, importing via the Mendeley Web Importer plugin, and uploading PDFs with metadata. It explains the process for each method, including using a PubMed identifier to automatically populate reference details and the convenience of the Web Importer for direct library additions from web pages. The paragraph also discusses managing the library, including marking references as read, adding tags for organization, and using filters to sort references by tags and authors.
📁 Organizing References with Collections and Private Groups
This section delves into organizing references using collections, which function as folders to categorize references manually. It explains creating sub-collections for more granular organization. Additionally, private groups are introduced as shared libraries for collaboration, allowing users to share references and PDFs with group members. The process of creating a private group, adding references, and inviting members is outlined. The paragraph also touches on the notebook feature, which allows users to add pages for general comments and attach specific notes to references.
🖊️ Creating Citations and Bibliographies in Microsoft Word
The final paragraph demonstrates how to integrate Mendeley with Microsoft Word for creating citations and bibliographies. It instructs viewers to download the Mendeley Cite add-on for Word and describes the process of adding citations and bibliographies within a Word document using the Mendeley library. The guide also covers changing citation styles and accessing the Mendeley library online through the Mendeley website, which syncs with the user's Elsevier account. The video concludes with a summary of the Mendeley Reference Manager's capabilities and an invitation for feedback and subscription to the channel for more tutorials.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mendeley Reference Manager
💡Elsevier
💡Reference Manager
💡Mendeley Desktop
💡Web Importer
💡Collections
💡Private Groups
💡Notebook
💡PDF Annotations
💡Citations
💡Bibliography
💡Citation Style
Highlights
Mendeley Reference Manager is a free reference management software created by Elsevier.
Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, Mendeley is a versatile tool for researchers.
Mendeley Desktop is no longer supported; Mendeley Reference Manager has taken its place.
To use Mendeley, an Elsevier account is required, which is also free to create.
Mendeley Web Importer is a browser plugin that simplifies saving online references.
The software features a sidebar for easy navigation and library management.
Users can create collections for organizing references and even sub-collections for added structure.
Private groups in Mendeley allow sharing of references and documents with group members.
The notebook feature enables users to add comments and annotations to references.
PDF annotations can be color-coded and managed through the Mendeley interface.
Mendeley integrates with Microsoft Word for easy citation and bibliography creation.
Citations and bibliographies can be styled according to various academic formats.
Mendeley's online platform provides access to the library across different devices.
The free plan offers 2GB of storage, with options for additional storage on paid plans.
Mendeley supports various methods for adding references, including manual entry and PDF uploads.
References can be marked as read, favorited, and filtered by tags or authors.
The video provides a comprehensive beginner's guide to using Mendeley Reference Manager.
Transcripts
in this video i'm going to show you
everything that you need to know about
using the mendeley reference manager so
let's get straight into it so what is
this software the mendeley reference
manager as the name suggests is a
reference manager software created by
the publisher elsevier that's available
for mac windows and linux machines and
the great thing about it is that it is
completely free
it's also worth noting that mendeley
have another software known as mendeley
desktop which is still available to
download
but this is no longer being supported
with updates since the mendeley
reference manager is taking its number
one spot to download the mendeley
reference manager software you need to
head on over to their website and i'll
leave a link in the description below in
the top right corner of the page you
should see a download button when you
select this you then have to select the
correct option for your chosen operating
system i'm using a windows machine for
this tutorial so i'll choose to download
this version once downloaded it's then a
case of following the setup wizard to
install the software
to use mendeley you will need an
elsevier account but don't worry this
process is also free and it's easy to do
to create an account go back to the
mendeley website and select the create
account option in the top navigation bar
enter your email address and click
continue then fill in the rest of your
information including your name and a
desired password
then click the register button
you should now have an elsevier account
which can be used to log in to the
mendeley reference manager software
another thing i suggest that you do at
this point is to install the mendeley
web importer
which is a free plugin for your internet
browser that makes it really easy to
save references you find online straight
to your mendeley library the web
importer is available for all major
internet browsers including firefox
chrome and safari and i'll leave links
in the description for each one so you
can download it yourself i'm using
firefox for this demonstration so i'll
install this so now we have everything
that we need let's now open the software
and take a look around when you first
open the program you will probably be
asked to log in so go ahead and enter
your newly created elsevier account
details inside of the mendeley reference
manager you should see a sidebar to the
left
at the top there's an add new button
where you can create a new reference
entry
add files from your computer or import a
full reference library from elsewhere
such as endnote under the add new button
you should then see different sections
of the library obviously this library is
empty at the moment but it is here that
you can toggle the view between all
references
those that are recently added are read
references that you mark as a favorite
or those that you have published
yourself and at the bottom there is a
trash area which will contain all the
files that you delete from your library
in the section below this there is
collections
you can think of collections as folders
where you can manually drag and drop
references into these are perfect for
keeping your library organized and i'll
explore collections in a bit more detail
later on in this guide under collections
you will also notice a private group
section
private groups are a bit like a shared
library where you can share references
and full-text documents to other members
in your group and i'll also go into a
bit more detail on this later within the
main panel of the mendeley reference
manager you will see all of the
references and files in your library
don't worry we will add some of your own
very shortly to the top right you will
find a search bar so you can quickly
find a reference in your library as well
as a filters option which can be used to
filter references by authors and tags
the last thing you should be aware of is
the notebook in the notebook you can add
your own comments in the form of pages
as well as view comments that are
embedded within multiple pdfs there's
more on notebooks later alright so
that's a brief overview of the program
itself let me now show you how you can
add references to the mendeley reference
manager like most reference managers
there are various ways that you can add
references to your library
with the mendeley reference manager
these are
manually add the listing yourself
use an identifier to look up the
metadata
use the mendeley web importer to import
references straight from your internet
browser
and upload a pdf which contains metadata
to add a reference manually simply
select the add new button and choose add
entry manually in the new sidebar ignore
the identifiers box at the top and
simply fill in the rest of the boxes for
this example let's say i want to add
this journal article i found online i
can just take the information on this
web page and manually enter it into the
mendeley reference manager i'll speed
this process up for you
once added you will then see the
reference in the main window
and if you'd like to see more
information about the reference you
simply select it and then go to the info
tab in the new sidebar to the right so
that's how you can add references
manually what about adding references
via an identifier the mendeley reference
manager can read different types of
identifiers and extract relevant
information attached to it by looking
online going back to my example of the
review article i can see that this is a
pubmed identifier code here so if i copy
this i can then open the mendeley
reference manager and select the add new
button again
then i will select the add entry
manually
but this time i will paste the
identifier i just copied into this top
box and then press the search button
if successful the boxes underneath
should be automatically populated with
the relevant information you can then
confirm these to add the reference to
the library
moving on let's take a look at importing
references via the mendeley web importer
with the web importer installed you
should see the add-on button somewhere
on your internet browser
as mentioned i'm using firefox and you
can see the mendeley web importer add-on
here to use the web importer go to the
page that contains the reference
that you want to download to your
library then simply select the web
importer button when doing this for the
first time you will be asked to log in
using your elsevier account that you
created earlier once logged in you
should then see all the available
references that you can download to your
library from this page and if that
reference has the full text pdf
available the web importer will notify
you it's then a case of selecting the
appropriate reference and clicking the
add to mendeley button
once imported the web importer will
notify you that the reference has been
imported and if you switch to the
mendeley reference manager software you
will see the reference in your library
as well as the associated pdf which can
be downloaded and opened directly within
the software the last main method of
importing references into your mendeley
library is to upload a pdf of that
reference
for example let's say i have the full
text of a journal article on my computer
most often these pdfs have metadata
associated with them which can be used
to populate the entry mentally simply
select the add new button and then click
the files from your computer option
find the desired pdf and upload it using
the attached metadata mendeley should
then populate that entry for you the pdf
will also be attached to the entry so
that's how you can add references to
your mendeley library
let me now show you a few things about
managing your library as you add entries
to your library they will often have
these green circles placed next to them
this just indicates that these
references are unread
if you open the pdf attached to the
reference this green circle will be
removed and the entry will be marked as
red you can also use the stars next to
each entry to mark them as a favorite
all favorite references can then be
found in the favorites tab
the recently added tab shows all
references added to your library within
the past 30 days and the recently read
tab shows all references that you have
opened the pdf for in the past 30 days
another thing that you can do mentally
is to add tags to your references tags
are another way of organizing your
references
to view the tags on a reference simply
select it to open the sidebar to the
right and then click the info tab if you
scroll down you will see a section
called tags at the moment this reference
doesn't contain any tags so let's add
some to add a tag click the plus button
then just type in and hit enter to add
your own and this brings me nicely onto
the filters function in mendeley
what you can do is filter your reference
library by tags and author names
to do this select the filter button and
then to filter by a tag select the tags
tab
and choose a desired tag
doing so will then show only those
references that have that specific tag
you can also do a similar thing with
author names let's now move on to
removing a reference from your library
deleting references is really easy
simply choose the reference and then
select the delete option in the bottom
panel all deleted references can then be
found when you click on the trash tab
you can then select them and then choose
the restore option to move them back
into your library or you can select the
delete permanently option to remove them
from the trash area let me now go into a
bit more detail on organizing your
references into collections to create a
new collection or folder simply select
the new collection option then give your
collection a name
let's say i'm writing a phd thesis so i
may want an introduction collection that
contains all the references i want to
use in my introduction section when you
select your newly created collection you
will see that it is currently empty to
add references to your collection simply
view all references in the library then
either click and drag the desired
references into the collection
or select multiple entries and then
choose the organize button and then
select the add to collection option then
simply check the collection you want to
add the references to and press the add
button another thing that you can do
with collections is create sub
collections to do this simply right
click on a collection and select new
collection you will then see a sub
collection has been created which can
further help organize your references
moving on to private groups private
groups enable you to share references
and pdfs with other members for example
let's say we want to share articles with
colleagues for a journal club the
process of creating a new private group
is similar to creating a collection
simply give the new group a name and
press enter again go to your library and
add any references you wish to add to
your new private group by either click
and dragging on them or by using the
actions menu to take advantage of
private groups you obviously need to
invite other users to it
to do this right click on the group and
then select manage group
then select the invite members button
you can then add in email addresses of
each person you would like to add to
this group and know that private groups
can hold 25 users once added users can
each see a shared reference library let
me now move on to the notebook feature
which is a really useful tool inside the
mendeley reference manager to access the
notebook select the notebook button
and this should open the sidebar to the
right with the notebook tab selected you
can add pages to your notebook by
selecting the new page button these are
great when you just want to jot down
some general comments all you have to do
is give the page a title and some
content by switching to the annotations
tab you can also add in notes about
specific references
for example say i want to add a note
about this reference i can just select
it and then add in a note in the general
notes area
this will then be attached to this
specific reference
another cool feature of the mendeley
reference manager is the pdf annotations
tool for those references that you have
a pdf for in your library you can double
click on them to open the pdf when
viewing a pdf you can use the tools in
the top left to add annotations for
example i can choose a desired color
that i want for my annotation then with
the highlight text tool active i can
highlight a piece of text inside the pdf
you can also highlight specific areas of
a document by using the highlight
rectangle tool
to change the color of an annotation
simply click on it and choose a new
color you can also choose to delete an
annotation from this menu too as well as
highlighting a document you can add your
own comments to do this click the sticky
note button
and click on an area inside the pdf you
can then type in your comment a cool
thing about doing this is that if you
open your notebook and then go to the
annotations tab
you can then view all the sticky notes
in this reference
and clicking on them will show that note
inside the pdf
so that's an overview of the mendeley
reference manager and the basics of
using it let me now show you how to
create citations and a bibliography
inside of microsoft word by using the
mendeley reference manager to be able to
do this you will firstly need to
download the mendeley sites for
microsoft word add-on and i'll leave a
link in the description for this i'll be
using microsoft word online for this
demonstration but the steps should be
similar for the standalone version of
word after installing the mendeley site
word add-on you should see a mendeley
cite button either in the references tab
or in a tab called add-ins
if you select the mendeley site button
you should see a sidebar to the right
and when using it for the first time
you'll be asked to log in once logged in
your library should be synchronized so
you can view all of your references
to add a citation by using mendeley site
select on an area in your document where
you want to add the citation then in the
sidebar use the search function and the
drop down menus to find your desired
reference
to add the reference simply select it
and then press the insert citation
button the citation will now appear in
your document
if you want to add further references to
this citation simply select it and then
choose the add reference button in the
sidebar it's then a case of finding the
other reference and adding to it if you
would like to remove a citation then
just select the cross button so that's
how you can add and remove a citation
how about adding a bibliography or
reference list to do this again select
on the document where you want to add
your bibliography then in the mendeley
site sidebar select the more option and
then choose insert bibliography you may
get a message stating that the
bibliography will be inserted at your
cursor location so just click continue
you should then see the bibliography has
been created if you'd like to delete
your bibliography you can simply press
the delete key on your keyboard finally
what about changing the style of your
citation and bibliography to do this
switch to the citation style tab in the
mendeley site sidebar there are a few
pre-downloaded styles that you can
choose from
if you want more styles press the select
another style option at the bottom and
use the search bar to find a desired
style
most journal styles can be found by
simply searching for the journal name
to install and use the style select it
and choose update citation style so
that's how you can use the mendeley site
add-on to add citations and a
bibliography into word
before i finish i just wanted to mention
that your mendeley reference manager
account can be accessed directly through
the mendeley website this is because
your library is synced to your elsevier
account and it's worth noting that you
get two gigabytes of storage on the free
plan
with additional storage available for
those that have a paid subscription to
access your library online simply sign
in to the mendeley website using your
account details and then choose the
library button
you should then see a similar view as
your mendeley reference manager software
this is particularly handy when you want
to access your library on a different
device from where your mendeley
reference manager is installed and with
that that brings me to the end of this
beginner's guide to using the mendeley
reference manager
if you found this video useful please
leave a like it really does help support
the channel
if you've got a question pop it down in
the comments below
also consider subscribing for more
weekly tutorials
Ver más vídeos relacionados
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9yCCqBCgi3g/hq720.jpg)
Como instalar e usar o Mendeley
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zEYp0BJL7MU/hq720.jpg)
How I research and write in Obsidian
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NoHMKKINgNY/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGGUgWChEMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBMkDw6AtbVO6yCgb9aSHZkFWPeEw)
🎬 10 CapCut Video Editing Tips You NEED to Know!
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DcDXQGe8t5E/hq720.jpg?v=64bc85c3)
How to Build Custom AI Chatbots 🔥(No Code)
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CScxy0294SE/hq720.jpg)
#2 Python Tutorial for Beginners | Python Installation | PyCharm
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/30MYRgCObu8/hq720.jpg)
Pi-Hosted : Installing JDownloader and File Browser On The Pi Docker Server Part 4
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)